+ Home of Heroes: Sector Cetus-Scorpii +
+ Abstract +
Cetus-Scorpii straddles two ancient stellar nurseries, the Cetus and Scorpii Nebulae, from which the region takes its name. Typical of many Imperial Sectors, it has known its share of warfare over a long history, but can generally be regarded as a relatively stable and prosperous region.
+ History of Imperial settlement +
The region is dense with stars and planets, many of which proved both deserted and inhabitable, leading to their rapid settlement during the Great Crusade.A number of resident xenos species resisted the conquest, but with the exception of the void-capable Varanate of Squam, none were successful. Even this militaristic and culturally-rich civilisation lost the majority of its holdings in the face of the Imperial Obscurus Auxilia elite that prosecuted the campaign, and the Varanate were forced into a humiliating detente that restricted them to the Squam System.
As part of the treaty, the remnants of the ancient Archoglossa Civilisation, a Protectorate of the Varanate were permitted to withdraw to the Red Hand Region, a relatively impoverished nearby area of space. Under the auspices of the Varanate, and escorted by the inscrutable Eldar of Craftworld Yb Folach, the Archoglossal Exodus took the best part of two decades to decamp the entire population of this venerable species to their present holdings. To the present day, all three groups intermittently attempt to raid, parley and interact with their ancient homes in Cetus-Scorpii.
The region benefits from a natural defence in the twin nebulae, owing to the inherent difficulties in navigating such features. Fierce ionstorms blind ships' sensors, degrade shields, and slow any conventional approach to a crawl; while the barrier between immaterium and materium is cloying and resistant – with the constant danger of becoming stranded on warp-reefs.
Influential enough to be granted sectorial status in the years immediately prior to the Horus Heresy, the region has borne out the vicissitudes of fate ever since, though ten thousand years of development, explotation and warfare across the worlds of the region means Sector Cetus-Scorpii is not the paradise of the past.
+ Red Hand and Kerberos +
Corewards of Cetus-Scorpii lies the Red Hand Region. Nominally under Imperial control, the Region consisted of two score habitable worlds, scattered across nineteen systems and surrounded by vast expanse of Wilderness Space. The Region had gradually seen Imperial holdings and influence reduced until the M41.480, when the last loyal Imperial Commander died without successor. In truth, none of the planets had paid their Tithe in generations, the region’s isolation and nearby wars making Imperial enforcement impossible.The Region was earmarked for re-settlement in M41.929 (some two centuries prior to the Augustine Crusade) an ambition that saw the bordering Cetus-Scorpii Sector Commanders grudgingly raise a small number of regiments that formed the Kerberos Expeditionary Force. Expecting little organised resistance, Lord General Mazhan led the poorly-equipped Kerberos forces into Red Hand, where they reported higher than expected resistance. Communication was lost within the decade, after repeated requests for reinforcements. Kerberos and Mazhan were consigned to history, a salutary lesson for Imperial Military Commanders in ensuring reliable supply lines.
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| + Mazhan and Kerberos' last transmissions stemmed from Slav-Mundi, then a Feral world + |
+ Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Man +
In late M41, the Cicatrix Maledictum broke across the galaxy, splitting the Imperium, and sending the populace of even secure Sectors like Cetus-Scorpii into fear and disarray. It was into this turmoil that a young Naval Marshal named Decían Augustus proved himself. Rallying the region's forces through brilliant martial understanding balanced with political deftness, Augustus successfully prosecuted a multi-front defensive war against raiders, pirates and potential rebels.Augustus' rise was swift and sure; buoyed by the grateful Imperial Governors of numerous worlds with Cetus-Scorpii, and the goodwill of the populace. A shrewd, ambitious and driven man, Augustus' qualities brought him to the attention of the Segmentum Solar Senate. With the monumental task of securing the Segmentum delegated to them, men and women of Augustus' abilities were in short supply. He was thus gratefully granted the office of Lord Commander Solar – or Warmaster – and tasked with succeeding where Mazhan had failed generations before.
To Augustus, the way was clear. Securing Cetus-Scorpii had been his grand task – but it would appear little more than a foundation stone to his legend, were he able to expand the Imperium beyond its current bounds...
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+ Principal worlds +
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| + A colour Plate from History of the Augustine Crusade + |
- Balto – Civilised world. Much of the planet's surface is covered with bleak moorland that blends into wetlands. Unsuited to armoured warfare, the Baltans specialise in survival tactics, and showed surprising ability in jungle warfare
- Eliria – Agri-world. Main export Red Grox; home to feuding Grox Agri-Houses spread over a vast temperate continent scoured by the grazing lands needed for the Grox farms. Moderately populated, with a proud house nobility culture that has brought decades of civil war.
- Galvinax – Hive world. main exports munitions and textiles. The Galvinax-pattern lasgun is high-powered, but prone to jamming.
- Gralmond – Agri-world. Tidally-locked. Tropical/polar deserts cover the hemispheres.
- Ha'qua – Feral world. Vast desert steppes cover most of the planet bar the polar extremes. Home to warlike nomadic cultures which breed excellent gene-steeds that form the planet's primary export to the wider Imperium.
- Mournvalle – Mausoleum World. Covered in mausolea, catacombs, graves and the towering necropolities. In ages past, the Harraxis treaties allowed the lords and noblemen from all over the sector to be entombed. Immediately prior to the Crusade, however, this backwater had been long-forgotten and isolated. The populace is extremely hostile to all off-worlders. Feudal level-technology.
- Nares Serpentine – Principal Forge world. Nares Serpentine supplied the bulk of the Crusade's shared materiel, from packing crates to STC-compliant support vehicles.
- Port Bromwic – Fortress world. [CLASSIFIED]
- Tenstar – Civilised world. Thinly-populated, inhabitable land is mainly prairie broken up into vast grox and porcuswine ranches.
- Termerus – Civilised world. Temperate climate and mountainous poles. Its capital is Termerus Hive, site of the St Termerus Ecclesia; a popular destination for pilgrims across the sector.
- Verringia – Civilised world. Home to a feudal-adjacent culture that inhabit a heavily mountainous super-continent. Noted for its high mineral output, Termerus produces notably high quality steel and ceramite, which is highly-prized for export and used locally to great effect in the Warjack's equipment.
- Vossk – Civilised World. A frozen world, primarily consisting of ice, low, far-ranging mountains and endless tundra. Only a solitary spaceport connects the population of Vossk to the wider Imperium. Though the climate is almost hostile enough to warrant a label as a death world, the lack of super predators or poisonous fauna usually required to earn such a distinction simply leaves it as a frozen ball of ice with terrible weather in the armpit of the galaxy.
+ The Extraordinaries +
The official Munitorum Bull obliging Imperial Commanders of the Sector to raise forces for the Augustine Crusade was issued in late M42.033. However, as is the nature of Imperial politics, the information had become common – if classified – knowledge throughout the region some six months prior to the edict coming into force on the first sphere of worlds.
Such a Bull is usually met with procrastination and delay – few Imperial worlds are so wealthy that they uncomplainingly bear the weight of war-preparation – but the rumours that Augustus, beloved across the sector for his heroism, was to be entrusted with an official Crusade caught the imagination of the great and worthy of the sector.
As the political wind carried them along, a dozen worlds, mostly clustered around the Sector's core, were caught up in a feverish atmosphere of patriotism and competition. First one, then another declared a state of Incredibili Conlationem – an additional voluntary tithe – that raised a regiment for the as-yet-unannounced Crusade.
Imperial Guard regiments are often raised as part of a planetary tithe, but for so many worlds to volunteer – and be able to fulfil – a supernumerary tithe was extremely unusual. While some worlds, like the wealthy planet of Balto, barely registered the contribution, others – led by pride or foolishness on the part of the Governors – virtually beggared themselves by raising a regiment; causing starvation for large portions of their population. Tenstar, for example, was temporarily reduced to Aptus Quaternary status and proved unable to provide a full-strength regiment when the Bull officially reached the planet, to the great shame of their populace.
Despite the hardships raising such a host caused the sector, the seventeen regiments were taken to Augustus' heart, and quickly assumed a totemic quality for the Crusade – and of the Cetus-Scorpii sector more broadly. The superstitious men and women of the Crusade saw these early volunteers as bellwethers for the fortunes of the Crusade. News of their victories became particularly sought-after, and their defeats sorely lamented. Hugely varied in quality and specialisms, the 'Extraordinaries', as they became collectively know, were beloved by the Warmaster due to their early support, though he wisely showed no favouritism in their deployment.
He reserved elements of all the Extraordinaries for his First Army Group, with twelve serving in their entirety under him. Eight are annotated below:
+ Light infantry +
- 1st Ha'quan Jannizars
- Galvinax Pioneers
- 501st Vosskien Regulars
+ Line/heavy infantry +
- Mournvalle 'Keepers of the Valle' – This unusual regiment of feral-worlders consists of the world's elite Necropolis Guard; stoic warriors who have unusual experience in seeking out and extinguishing the unnamed horrors that dog their planet. It is led by Duke Wissix, who is dogged by rumours that he has 'gone native'.
- Tenstar Greycores
- Verringian Warjacks – Clad in heavy carapace plate, the regiment looks to have stepped from the distant past, resembling an army from the age of plate and lance. Despite their anachronistic looks, they wielded thoroughly modern weaponry, including the infamous Serpentine-pattern hellgun and Verringian power flamberges
- Baltan 1st 'Blankbrows' – so-called because their regimental insignia was mistakenly manufactured 'blank-on-rouge' rather than 'black'. The first intake were permitted to retain their mono-coloured cap badges.
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| + Flagg-korpral of the Baltan 10th + |
+ Armoured regiments +
- Baltan 10th Armoured – Courageous, indigent and stubborn, the 'tankers' of the 10th – one of the rare Armoured Regiments from this marshy planet – epitomised the best and worst of Balto.
- Termerian Warcats
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